December Week 3

Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: St Francis of Assisi (1181/2 – 1226)

Francis of Assisi was born in Italy around the year 1181 to a prosperous silk merchant and a noblewoman. Francis lived a high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man. He was handsome, witty, gallant, and delighted in fine clothes. He spent money lavishly and was renowned for drinking and partying in his youth but soon became disillusioned with the world that surrounded him. Around 1202, Francis joined a military expedition and was taken prisoner. He spent a year imprisoned and acquired an illness that caused him to re-evaluate his life’s trajectory. After his release from prison, Francis heard the voice of Christ who told him to repair the Christian Church and live a life of poverty. He abandoned his life of luxury. He renounced his inheritance and stripped down to his undergarments in the town square as he set off to embrace his vow of poverty, a radical notion at the time. He set out on a mission to restore the church to the original values of Jesus Christ. 

St. Francis advocated gentleness, humility and simplicity. He and his companions desired to fully live by the Gospel. He never set out to have followers, but people were so puzzled by his joyful disposition in spite of abject poverty that they began to listen to his call to repentance. His message of humility and living gently caught on. Francis’ humility was embodied by the way he related to all of God’s creatures.  He took to heart Jesus’ command to love neighbor, even going so far as seeing non-human elements of creation as his neighbor. He believed that God had created everything to be family and to provide mutual care and joy. Rather than thinking of himself as a higher being, Francis saw himself as a brother to the animals and everything that God created and declared good. He taught the world about God’s brotherhood and practiced true equality, showing respect and love to every single person he met. St. Francis rejected his lifestyle full of “stuff” and his dreams of prestige in favor of a simple, gentle, humble life. He found God there; he found freedom and joy in simplicity, and indeed found rest for his weary soul.

Lesson: Luke 1:52 (NIV)

He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.

Is it possible to get to a high-ranking position without crushing a few people in the process? Has anyone elected president of the United States ever gotten to that position by being humble? The words from the scripture text above were uttered by Mary, the mother of Jesus, in what is called “The Magnificat” (Luke 1:46-55). It is a beautiful poem remarkably sounding like the psalms of old, praising Yahweh the God of Israel for being faithful to what he promised...sending his Messiah to rescue his people! However, in this poem, Mary provides a foretaste for how this Messiah would rule. He will fill the hungry, scatter the proud, and lift up the humble.

The Visitation - by Philippe de Champaigne (1602–1674) - Gallery Katakombe

In the “common sense” views of rational people, leaders need to be assertive, strong-willed, resolved, tough, and embody a “strong man” mentality. History has taught us, time and again, that these characteristics have a high likelihood of leading to destruction, developing a seeming sense of invincibility by the leader yet leading to decisions that result in anything but peace. Mary is giving us a glimpse of the upside-down nature of Jesus’ leadership in His kingdom.

Mary was likely a young teenage girl in an ancient culture that was ruled by older men. She was not important, unnoticed by the people who made the big decisions. Yet God chose her, insignificant as she was, to bring forth the life of the second Person of the Trinity. God incarnate, Jesus, was physically developed in the womb of an unwed, poor, teenage girl. During this Advent season, as you see news headlines focusing on important people of power, ponder what may be making headlines in kingdom news, and shoot for making the front page.

Remembrance:

The Litany of Humility (Contemporary version)

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. 
From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, 
others may increase and I may decrease,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,  Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Challenge

Evaluate how you spend money. Pray and ask God to show you how He desires your money to be used. If you struggle with financial management, consider taking a class or counseling session that focuses on financial education and budgeting. Or, talk to someone at church or a friend who you think might be able to point you in the right direction.

Bless someone who has recently been through a rough time. Go out of your way to encourage resilience and strength in him or her. It could be as simple as sending a hand-written letter to someone.

References: crownonline.org, daveramsey.com, moneywise.org

Reflection

Saint Francis made a radical life change after being captured in war. Have there been moments in your life that have caused you to change your course completely?

Refer back to the “Litany of Humility.” Which desires or fears do you need the Lord to deliver you from in this season? Are there things you need his grace to desire?

Further Growth

2021: 4th Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: Micah 5:2-5a
Psalm: Psalm 80:1-7
New Testament: Hebrews 10:1-10
Gospel: Luke 1:39-56

2020: 4th Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-17
Psalm: Psalm 132:1-19
New Testament: Romans 16 25-27
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38

December Week 5

Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)

Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin was born in France on January 2, 1873 to Louis and Zelie Martin. From an early age, it was obvious that Therese was intelligent, cunning, stubborn, and full of life. She began her education under her older sisters, but her father officially enrolled her in Lisieux’s Benedictine Abbey school of Notre-Dame du Pre in October of 1881. Therese’s five years at this school were miserable. She loved catechism, history, and science, but struggled in other areas. Her level of intelligence was so advanced that classmates became envious and did not treat her kindly. At only 9 years old, Therese attempted to join Lisieux’s Carmelite Convent, but she was turned away because of her young age. During this time, Therese suffered a severe illness; as a result of her time in pain, Therese concluded at the age of 10: “I was born for glory.” She perceived her life’s mission as one of salvation for all people. She wanted to become a saint. She understood that her glory would be hidden from the eyes of others until God wished to reveal it.

As a teenager, Therese attempted to enter the Carmelite Convent once again. She, along with her supportive father, confronted both the Bishop and the Pope, pleading them to let her enter. Finally, when she was 15 years and 3 months old, she was admitted into the convent. It was here that Therese developed her “Little Way” of living as she recognized her spiritual “littleness.” She said, "It is impossible for me to grow up, so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new." Therese went on to describe the elevator in the home of a rich person. She concluded, "I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. I searched then in the Scriptures for some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires and I read these words coming from the mouth of Eternal Wisdom: 'Whoever is a little one let him come to me.' [Prov. 9:4]. The elevator which must raise me to heaven is your arms, O Jesus, and for this I have no need to grow up, but rather I have to remain little and become this more and more." And so she abandoned herself to Jesus and her life became a continual acceptance of the will of the Lord; she performed the smallest of tasks with humility and patience that had not characterized her up to this point.

After living a simple and quite ordinary life in the convent, Therese died on September 30, 1897 at the age of 24 due to tuberculosis. Although her life may not look extraordinary in many ways, her development of the “Little Way” holds significant spiritual value and can teach us much about performing all the small tasks in our lives with great love and intentional humility.

Lesson: Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

The "Little Way" that St. Thérèse developed consists of simplicity in life, prayer from the heart to Jesus, total trust in God as our Loving Father (not a stern judge), being a true child of God our Father rather than doing our own thing, seeking God's will in our everyday activities, doing everything for the love of Jesus with humility, being kind to people we can't stand, and a sincere desire to be with Jesus forever rather than to be in this world.1

The world does not live the Little Way. If we were truly living the Little Way:

•      we would be delighted to take the last place in line
•      we would recoil from flattery
•      we would rejoice in the success of our neighbors
•      we would make no excuses for our sins
•      we would be quick to admit our weaknesses
•      we would prefer hiddenness to acclaim
•      we would be grateful when others criticized us and pointed out our shortcomings
•      we would not be undone by the injury and injustice we suffer
•      we would be unmoved by worldly status, fame, and prestige
•      we would experience peace in the midst of the world’s conflict, turmoil, and strife.

If you were to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience as Paul urges, do you think you would be characterized in a similar vein as the ‘Little Way?’

References:
St. Therese’s Little Way, catholicbible101.com/stthereseslittleway.htm, accessed October 20, 2019.
Cameron, Father Peter John O.P. First Steps on the Little Way of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. https://www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/cis307.pdf, accessed October 19, 2019.

Remembrance

Sometimes, when I read spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown with a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires. I close the learned book which is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons; perfection seems simple; I see that it is enough to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself, like a child, into God's arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet. – St. Thérèse

Challenge

To the right and to the left, I throw to my little birds the good grain that God places in my hands. And then I let things take their course! I busy myself with it no more. Sometimes, it's just as though I had thrown nothing; at other times, it does some good. But God tells me: 'Give, give always, without being concerned with the results'. – St. Thérèse

This week, how can you give, give always, without being concerned with the results? Make a plan and then do it.

Reflection

St. Thérèse saw the limitations of all her efforts. She remained small and very far off from the unfailing love that she would wish to practice. She is said to have understood then that it was from insignificance that she had to learn to ask God's help.

Further Growth

2021: No 5th Sunday

2020: No 5th Sunday

December Week 4

Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: Pope Francis (1936 - )

Shortly after Francis became pope in 2013, he washed the feet of Muslims. The Pope turned heads and profoundly broke with a papal Holy Week tradition of celebrating the evening Mass at a Rome basilica. Instead, he ventured out of the Vatican to the Casa del Marmo Young Offenders Institute in Rome for the Holy Thursday Mass. The male and female detainees, ranging in age from 14-21, are mostly immigrants from a wide range of religious backgrounds. The detainees led the Scripture readings and the prayers of the faithful, while prison volunteers provided music for the service. Staff members of the facility also attended the mass.

The Pope demonstrated the importance of washing another’s feet. According to Pope Francis, this service shows that “the person who is most high among us must be at the service of the others. We have to help one another, each one. To wash your feet, this is a symbol, a sign that I am at your service,” the Pope said. “But it also means that we have to help each other.” He added that he would wash their feet with love. “It’s a duty that comes from my heart because I love doing this, because this is what the Lord taught me. This sign is a caress from Jesus, because Jesus came exactly for this, to serve and to help us.”

He expressed Christ’s love for everyone in attendance while he was washing the feet of 12 young detainees. These 12 were of different nationalities and faiths, including at least two Muslims, and two young women. The 76-year-old Pope Francis knelt on both knees before the youth, washed, dried and then kissed their feet. The ritual was extremely moving. Many of the young people had tears streaming down their faces. The Pope was warm and exuded happiness while he was celebrating Mass at the prison. 

While the prison Mass marked a first for the modern papacy, the practice was nothing new to Pope Francis, who as Archbishop of Buenos Aires used to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in prisons, hospitals, and shelters for the poor. This act reflects on the call to imitate Christ by serving one another, and it commemorates Jesus’ gift of the Eucharist, worthy to be shared with the marginalized.

Lesson: John 13:1-17 (NIV)

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" Jesus answered, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Ethiopian Art: Jesus washing feet

So begins Jesus’ final night and last words to his disciples. He is preparing them for his coming death. The setting is the Passover festival, one of the major annual Jewish celebrations which had been going on for well over 1,000 years.

We read the story of washing feet and it sounds kind of strange to us. In ancient societies, it was as familiar as having a server at a restaurant. It was the job of a common servant. Ancient societies were also honor-shame cultures. The goal of life was to continually try to gain more honor. Jesus was a “rabbi” (teacher) to a group of others. A rabbi was a position of honor. It would have been unheard of for a rabbi to take on the role of a common servant and wash the feet of his students, for this would bring great shame upon him doing something that was beneath him. This is one of many examples of Jesus taking what society values and turning it upside down.

Ponder this: A superior stooping down to wash the feet of his inferiors. Jesus uses this as a symbol for his life purpose: to reveal God’s nature as a being of self-giving love. Jesus uses this action to give his disciples a command: follow my example. In other words, love one another as I have loved you. As our monthly resolution states, honor others above self. Make yourself the least important person in the room. It is important to note here that Jesus says this to his disciples. He is appealing for unity and love amongst Christians. While we are to love everyone and strive to live in peace with all, Jesus wants us to focus on “one another.” The hallmark of Jesus’ followers is radical acts of service and love towards each other. This is how “outsiders” will know we have the truth. Some today, like Pope Francis, still do the actual act of foot washing in imitation of Jesus as a symbol. This can be a powerful practice that helps a humble posture sink into our bones. As we go through our days we need to continually find new ways to make ourselves a servant, for Jesus tells us doing these acts results in blessing.

Remembrance

Listen along as you meditate on the words.

O come, O come Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appears

O come, thou Wisdom from on high
Who orderest all things mightily
To us the path of knowledge show
And teach us in her ways to go

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here
And drive away the shades of night
And death's dark shadow put to flight

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

Challenge

Make one counter-cultural decision this week. Be inspired by Wendell Barry's poem "Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front," particularly the last stanza:

"As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn’t go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection."  

Carve out time to serve or bless your neighbor or volunteer with a local organization who assists people in need.  For inspiration, visit: www.unitedwayocoee.org/funded-partners.

Reflection

Washing one another’s feet is not an everyday ritual, but picture yourself seated before a friend, loved one, or even a stranger ready to wash his or her feet. What would this practice require of you? Are there ways to serve or honor people in the way washing their feet would? Ponder Pope Francis’ question to the detainees: “Am I really willing to help others?”

As you reflect on this season of Advent and the coming of Jesus, do you find yourself hopeful for something? What does His common entry into the world, despite having the rights of a king, mean for you and your life?

Further Growth

2021: First Sunday of Christmas

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:10 — 62:5
Psalm: 147:12-20
New Testament: Galatians 3:23 — 4:7
Gospel: John 1:1-18

2020: First Sunday of Christmas

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:10 — 62:5
Psalm: 147:12-20
New Testament: Galatians 3:23 — 4:7
Gospel: John 1:1-18

December Week 2

Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: Henri Nouwen (1932-1996)

The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up. Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record- that’s what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us the rewards of money and fame. The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility. It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place! Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the Kingdom, the way Jesus took, and the way that brings everlasting life.
-Henri Nouwen, (1932-1996)

From the time Henri Nouwen was five years old, he felt the closeness of God in his life, a desire to be with and to know Jesus.  Born in Nijkerk, Holland, on January 24, 1932, he felt called to the priesthood at a very young age. According to Nouwen, he felt that two voices were speaking to him: one saying, “Henri, be sure you make it on your own—make something of your life; find a good career and be sure I can be proud of you.” As well as another voice saying, “Henri, whatever you are going to do, even if you don’t do anything very interesting in the eyes of the world, be sure you stay close to the heart of Jesus; be sure you stay close to the love of God and never lose touch with your vocation.” Throughout his life, Henri felt the tangible tension and struggle between those two perspectives.

Henri Nouwen became an internationally renowned Catholic priest and author. He wrote over 39 books on the spiritual life, which sold over 8 million copies in over 28 languages. Nouwen was also a respected professor and beloved pastor. He famously taught at the University of Notre Dame, and the Divinity Schools of Yale and Harvard. He also reached out to thousands through leading Eucharistic celebrations, lectures and retreats all over the world. 

However, Nouwen felt that his true home and his most valuable vocation came when he accepted the invitation to leave Harvard and become the priest at the L’Arche Daybreak community near Toronto. L’Arche Daybreak is one of over 100 communities founded by Jean Vanier where people with developmental disabilities live full-time with assistants. Many people in the L’Arche community are rejected and outcast in the world. But L’Arche embraces everyone, handicapped members and assistants, reminding all that God loves us in our brokenness. “L’Arche exists not to help the mentally handicapped get ‘normal,’ but to help them share their spiritual gifts with the world.” (Nouwen).

Nouwen spent the last ten years of his life living and ministering in the L’Arche Daybreak community.  This accomplished author and former professor devoted his energies to those whose IQs and disabilities placed them on the margins of society. And, in doing so, he felt that the love of God became more concrete, transforming and real to him than ever before. “These broken, wounded, and completely unpretentious people forced me to let go of my relevant self—the self that can do things, show things, prove things, build things—and forced me to reclaim that unadorned self in which I’m completely vulnerable, open to receive and give love regardless of any accomplishments.” – Henri Nouwen

Lesson: Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:6-11, considered an early Christian poem, is the centerpiece of the book of Philippians. Everything Paul says in the book revolves around it. It is also one of the most common texts used when describing the incarnation of Jesus, which we naturally ponder this time of year. The Son of God, perfect and good in every regard, became a human being. Humans can be nasty creatures. We’re stinky and our bodies make strange noises. We eat food and it leaves our bodies as excrement. Our bones ache, our muscles get sore, our breath stinks, our teeth stain and our wounds get infected and filled with pus. Jesus, the glorious and all powerful second Person of the Trinity, entered into this nastiness with us. And if entering into this nastiness with us wasn’t enough, he voluntarily made himself even lower by dying in one of the most humiliating and brutal ways the world has ever seen. The stair-step nature of this poem, with Paul describing a descent of Jesus going lower and lower, only to ultimately be elevated, is obvious.

There are subtle echoes in this passage to the Adam story from Genesis 1-3. The word “likeness” jumps out, as God states in Genesis 1:26 “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” Yet another echo to those early chapters of Genesis is found in Philippians 2:6, where Jesus did not consider equality with God as something to be used to his own advantage or “grasped.” Our minds should immediately be taken back to the Garden, where Adam and Eve saw that the fruit was “pleasing to the eye and desirable for gaining wisdom” after the serpent tells them eating this fruit will make them “like God.” (Genesis 3:5-6) From the very beginning humans have been trying to grasp equality with God. Yet here is Jesus, God in the flesh and equal to God, having every right to use that to his own advantage, but making himself nothing. Humans (mistakenly) strive for equality with God. Though we would like to think we’ve learned from our past mistakes of trying to be like God, we still try to build a life where God is not needed, and where we define good and evil on our own terms.

The point of this passage is not merely to philosophically ponder the mysteries of the incarnation. No, the point Paul is making is that followers of Jesus need to let this same kind of thinking that dominated Jesus’ mind also dominate ours. Humility is honoring others above self. The incarnation is a beautiful example of that. During this season of expectation, let that attitude direct our thinking.

Remembrance

One: God of all Creation
All: What do you require of us?
One: to do justice
All: seeking peace & reconciliation, standing with the marginalized and forgotten
One: to love kindness
All: showing compassion and unconditional caring for those in need
One: to walk humbly
All: following in the steps of Jesus, lifting up not the work of our hands but the power that sustains our service.
www.churchofthebrethren.org

Challenge

1. Commit Philippians 2:6-11 to memory.

2. The English word "humility" stems from the same root word in Latin that is related to humus (not hummus). Humus is an organic component of soil formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material. Find a way this week to appreciate simple aspects of nature that we take for granted—even things we depend on for life or sustenance. Maybe it is possible to beautify a desolate or forgotten area no longer in its prime.

Reflection

In a culture driven by productivity, how can you balance the tension of setting and achieving goals personally, academically, or professionally while keeping a posture of humility and preferring others?

Consider Henri Nouwen’s great joy in working with people with severe special needs. He said he learned more from the L’Arche residents than his Harvard students even though many were unable to care for themselves or communicate with him. What do you think these friends taught him? When have you learned from people who were very different from you? 

Further Growth

2021: 3rd Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: Zephaniah 3:14-20
Psalm: Psalm 85
New Testament: Philippians 4:4-9
Gospel: Luke 3:7-20

2020: 3rd Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: Isaiah 65:17-25
Psalm: Psalm 126
New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
Gospel: John 3:22-30

December Week 1

Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)

Shane Claiborne wrote the following after a summer experience in Calcutta:

People often ask me what Mother Teresa was like. Did she glow in the dark or have a halo? She was short, wrinkled, and precious, maybe even a little ornery--like a beautiful, wise old granny.  But there is one thing I will never forget—her feet were deformed. Each morning during Mass, I would stare at those feet. I wondered if Mother Teresa had leprosy. But I wasn’t going to ask, of course. One day a sister asked us, “Have you noticed Mother’s feet? We nodded, curious. She said, “Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds those. Years of wearing bad shoes have deformed her feet.” That is the kind of love that places our neighbors’ needs above our own.

This messenger of God’s love was born on August 27, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia. She was baptized Anjezë Gonxha. From the day of her First Holy Communion, a love for souls was within her. At the age of eighteen, moved by a desire to become a missionary, Gonxha left her home to join the Sisters of Loreto, in Ireland. There she received the name Sister Mary Teresa after St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Soon after, she departed for Calcutta, India where she would discover her life’s work. Sister Teresa taught at St. Mary’s School for girls in Calcutta for twenty years. In 1946, Mother Teresa received her “inspiration,” her “call within a call” as Jesus’ love for others took hold of her heart and became the driving force in her life. Two years later she dressed in a white, blue bordered sari and passed through the gates of her beloved convent to enter the world of the poor choosing to live in the slums. She visited families, washed the sores of children, cared for an old man lying sick on the road and nursed a woman dying of hunger. She started each day in communion with Jesus and then went out, rosary in her hand, to find and serve Him in “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.”  After some months, she was joined, one by one, by her former students and the Missionaries of Charity was born. 

The whole of Mother Teresa’s life bore witness to the joy of loving. Her actions reflected the greatness and dignity of every human person, the value of little things done faithfully with great love, and the surpassing worth of friendship by God. On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa’s earthly life came to an end. Fifteen thousand people attended her funeral. Her tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage and prayer for people of all faiths, rich and poor alike. That same year, Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity numbered nearly 4,000 members and were established in 610 foundations in 123 countries of the world. Mother Teresa left a testament of unshakable faith, invincible hope and extraordinary charity. Her response to Jesus’ plea, “Come be My light,” made her a Missionary of Charity, a “mother to the poor,” a symbol of compassion to the world, and a living witness to the thirsting love of God.  

Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint you will not put yourself on a pedestal.  – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Lesson: Luke 14:7-11 (NIV)

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this person your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

Honor. It is a game humanity has played for ages. We try to gain honor, seeking to be esteemed higher in the eyes of our peers. It is only natural to want others to think highly of us, to be placed on the pedestals of human minds. This was especially so in ancient cultures, much more so than in our world. Honor was more important than life itself. The opposite of honor is shame. When shame came upon an individual or family, it required drastic measures to earn honor back.

Humility is looking to increase the honor of others above the honor of self. Despite humanity’s goal to elevate the self, our text here tells us true honor in the eyes of God is the elevation of the other. Jesus tells us to start low. He tells us right at the beginning, wherever we go, make ourselves the least important person in the room. In 1st century Palestine, when a host would have a party, there was often a “place of honor.”  It would be like the head of the table having an individual sit directly beside them, positioned in a way that those present knew that person was important. It was the most coveted seat. Jesus tells us not to wiggle our way to the front. Stay in the back, behind the scenes, out of view. In doing this, our host will lift us up in His kingdom, which is paradoxical. There may be no earthly fame or recognition, but the consequences of our humble posture will last for eternity.

Remembrance

A prayer for the First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

From the Book of Common Prayer 1976 edition; p. 211

Challenge

Mother Teresa said, “I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith.” How can you serve “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for?” Ask God to show you one specific way to love and serve others during this Advent season.

Reflection

Look back at the photo of Mother Teresa’s feet. What does this image make you feel? What might it be like to choose the worst shoes over and over again?

 What are practical ways we can make ourselves the least important person in the room? What would change if we tried to do this more often?

Further Growth

2021: 2nd Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: Malachi 3:1-5
Psalm: Psalm 126
New Testament: 1 Corinthians 4:1-21
Gospel: Luke 3:1-6

2020: 2nd Sunday in Advent

Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm: Psalm 85
New Testament: 2 Peter 3:8-18
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

December Introduction

December: Humility

Humility – a modest, low, or accurate view of one’s own importance;

Advent is the first season of the Christian church year. Defined, advent means “the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.” During the Christmas season, we celebrate the arrival of the most notable person in history, Jesus—the Son of God.

If you did not know the story of Jesus, and you relied only on your imagination to picture the arrival of the Son of God, what would you picture? You might think of a grand, mighty display of power, angels, trumpets, and a triumphant entry. You would think of a welcome fit for a king.

As we know, it wasn’t quite like this for Jesus’ arrival. Jesus left all of the comforts of heaven--His home--and stepped into our humanity in the most vulnerable way. He came as an infant. He came with ultimate humility. 

So, the advent we celebrate in December is Jesus. Our notable one, our Savior, arrived with humility. May we show up this month, too. May we arrive in our homes, jobs, celebrations, and even the most ordinary things full of humility.

December: Liturgy

Leader:  Father God, we recognize the power and authority that You alone hold. Thank You for modeling for us how to employ power in a healthy way. You exemplified this through humbly sending Your Son to earth.

People: You must increase; we must decrease.

Leader:  Son of God, we thank You for the model of your incarnation, for coming to live among humanity. We welcome You here today and seek to imitate Your humility.

People: You must increase; we must decrease.

Leader:  Spirit of God, our great Comforter, Your silent, invisible, yet powerful presence is awe-inspiring. We desire to hear Your gentle voice and experience Your peace that passes understanding.

People: You must increase; we must decrease.